CHICAGO -- The Vermont Frost Heaves selected and signed former Slippery Rock University player Ken Ottrix as part of the Premier Basketball League draft Thursday.

Ottrix, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound post player from Seattle, Wash., was the seventh player selected in the draft and the first player taken by the Frost Heaves, who are based in South Burlington.

Ottrix averaged 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in his only season (2007-08) at The Rock after transferring from Ohio University.

Last winter, he played for the Seattle Mountaineers in the International Basketball League.

"Ken has great athletic ability and he impressed me immensely [at the PBL Combine] in D.C. with his athleticism, ability to score both inside and out and he was consistently playing above the rim all day," Frost Heaves head coach Jeff Strohm said. "He has great leaping ability and his basketball skills and personality will fit quite nicely with what we are creating in Vermont."

The Frost Heaves will kick off their 2009-10 PBL season in mid-December when all players will report to camp.

Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff is co-founder and president of the Frost Heaves.